For A Cross: A Narrative in One Act
by perrilloux.bf68
Summary: Blinded by the reality of the cross, Jesus' Mother is posed a question, "Would you bare him again?" From the Mind of a Dreamer comes a Christmas Pageant draped in the robes of Easter. [Scene 3]
1. Scene 1

**FOR A CROSS**

 **A Narrative in One Act**

* * *

 **Cast of Characters**

 **Mary (Jesus' Mother):** An adult woman.

 **John:** An adult man.

 **Roman Soldier:** An adult man

 **Angel:** A girl, 8 or older

 **Chorus**

 **Soldier Two:** An adult man

 **Nativity Characters:** Various children

* * *

 **Scene:** At the foot of the cross.

 **Time:** Just after the death of Jesus.

* * *

 **ACT I**

 **Scene 1**

The stage is clear except for the base of the cross and a table downstage. On the table are four empty candlesticks lined up with the white Christ candle in the middle. It's unlit, an advent wreath. Only the overhead stage lights are illuminated.

At rise, Song One [O come, O come Emmanuel] begins to play in the background.

 _To free your captive Israel.  
That mourns in lonely exile here,_

The ROMAN SOLDIER enters dragging the cross up the church's lonely aisle. He heads to its base resting just as lonely at the center of the stage with SOLDIER TWO following awkwardly behind. SOLDIER TWO has a white cloth draped around his neck. He plays with it a little between his struggles with the awkward stage piece, the cross's foot he can barely pick up. Reaching the quasi-modern platform, they lay the cross down and pretend to hammer nails on each of their respective sides. The ROMAN SOLDIER is on stage left, and SOLDIER TWO is on stage right. They hammer to the music.

 _Veni, veni, Emanuel!_

The song keeps playing in the background whispering into the audience's ears. Together, the ROMAN SOLDIER and SOLDIER TWO raise the cross and secure it in the stand.

 _Gaude, gaude, Emanuel  
Nascetur pro te, Israel._

The CHORUS ushers in. They're dressed solemnly in black cloaks, all carrying lit candles. The floating lights flicker sluggishly as the CHORUS stands scattered throughout the stage and church aisles. They're a mourning crowd, a tired crowd. It's been a long day.

 _Gaude, gaude_

The ANGEL, MARY AND JOHN enters sad and weeping from stage left carrying unlit candles. The ANGEL carries two. MARY wears a black cloak over her blue nativity outfit. Each inserts candles into their respective stands on the front table then leave for their respective places. MARY AND JOHN hover together stage right before the cross downstage. The ANGEL stands upstage behind the cross and the ROMAN SOLDIER, stage left.

 _Nascetur pro te, Israel._

SOLDIER TWO drapes the white cloth over the cross's crossbeams while the ROMAN SOLDIER helps. Here the audience recognizes it as the Christian flag. The blue square is visible, the bleeding cross is barely so.

EVERYONE freezes in place until the song ends. The CHORUS watches the cross. MARY and JOHN face the audience. The ROMAN SOLDIER and SOLDIER TWO watches MARY and JOHN. They cry.

 _Rejoice, Rejoice O Israel  
To you shall come Emmanuel_

 _(END SCENE)_


	2. Scene 2

**FOR A CROSS**

 **A Narrative in One Act**

* * *

 **ACT I**

 **Scene 2**

* * *

The ROMAN SOLDIER looks up at the cross then shakes his head in wonder. "Truly, this man was the Son of God." He says this with a sense of honor that is betrayed by his boisterous tone. His voice is loud and hard. It's used to giving orders.

MARY, who stares out into the audience, looks up as if looking at the cross behind her. There are tears in her eyes. "I can't believe he's gone. I can't believe…"

John comforts her as the ROMAN SOLDIER eavesdrops, as MARY breaks down further. "It's been a hard couple of days," he says. "With the Passover, the arrest and the trial, we've had little time to rest. Perhaps, we should go, Mary. The others—we will see to it that everything is taken care of from this point on. What you need to do right now is rest."

MARY interrupts him shaking her head. "I cannot leave him. I will not leave my son."

"Wait, you are his mother? You?!" The ROMAN SOLDIER corners MARY and JOHN. "You knew this man?" He points a thumb at the cross while JOHN and MARY start to move away. MARY covers her mouth with her cloak. JOHN shelters her in his arms.

"Yes," MARY answers timidly.

"The miracle maker?" The ROMAN SOLDIER asks even louder.

"You see," JOHN defends.

"The teacher everyone has been talking about. Him?!" Again, the ROMAN SOLDIER points at the cross. MARY and JOHN nods speechless, embarrassed.

Afraid, JOHN begins to pull MARY away. "Listen," he says. "We aren't looking for trouble—"

"And neither am I," The ROMAN SOLDIER assures him. His voice is just as boisterous, just as loud as before, but somewhere in its brasslike tone there is a sense of awe, a sense of wonder. MARY can hear it, though she is frightened. "I am just curious," the ROMAN SOLDIER says, maybe a little softer tone. It is barely noticeable, but the change convinces her.

MARY tries to answer, but JOHN refuses her. However, before he can reply, the ROMAN SOLDIER interrupts.

"Did you know what he would do? Did you have any—"

JOHN moves to leave. "Come on, Mary," he says.

The ROMAN SOLDIER steps closer, a frown painting shadows across his face. His clean shaven chin is no longer smooth and dry. It's now sweaty from the stage lights, and dotted with whiskers as the evening settles in. The people in the front row can see it, but not as clearly as MARY as he says his next line. "Hey, let the woman speak. I mean no harm. Honest."

JOHN and MARY eyes both of the soldiers and reluctantly agrees to answer the ROMAN SOLDIER's questions. MARY steps towards him. She shakes her head. "I was told I would endure sorrow. From what little I knew of the scriptures, I knew he would be a great man and I agreed to bare him. But I wasn't ready for what he would really be or do. I wasn't ready for this." She gestures to the cross.

The ROMAN SOLDIER scratches his chin. "Told? Agreed?"

MARY stammers trying to explain. JOHN moves to interrupt, but the ROMAN SOLDIER beats him to the punch. "Would you do it again?" He asks.

"What?" Mary questions.

The ROMAN SOLDIER expounds. "Knowing what you know now. Would you still want to be his mother and raise this man of miracles? He sings SONG TWO: "WHAT WOULD YOU DO," from IF/THEN the Musical. The piano is shaky as is his voice.

 _"_ _If you met him tomorrow and knew you would lose him…"_

But the song is enough. The audience listens, a question is asked and MARY must answer.

 _"_ _Feeling like you feel today  
Tell me you'd just walk away  
What would you do?"_

The last stanza of his song reverberates through the church as she says her next line. MARY murmurs softly in thought and doubt, "I don't know."

It leads into SONG THREE, "Breath of Heaven," by Amy Grant.

JOHN and the ROMAN SOLDIER step away from center stage as MARY drops her black cloak to reveal her nativity outfit. The CHORUS walks on stage from their places scattered amongst the audience to form two lines on stage. Still dressed in their black robes, they are the shadows of a traveling caravan. They freeze while MARY sings the first verse. Their lit candles flicker as she sings.

 _"_ _And I wonder what I've done  
Holy Father, You have come  
And chosen me now to carry Your Son."_

Then, a part of the chorus turns to the audience and steps forward down stage. They freeze in various positions of prayer until the second verse starts. MARY sings praying for God's guidance as she tackles the task of bearing the Christ, as she remembers what it was like to go through the time of his birth. Her pleas twist the lyrics as she pleads for guidance to bear the reality of his death. The cross is still visible. The Christian Flag droops stale and still across its crossbeams behind her as she sings, as the CHORUS moves to create a mock nativity scene with MARY in the middle pretending to hold her son as a newborn. MARY sings to him.

 _"_ _Do you wonder as you watch my face  
If a wiser one should have had my place?"_

The CHORUS moves to act like they are talking about her. Here, they freeze. MARY steps away from them and sings.

 _"_ _But I offer all I am  
For the mercy of Your plan  
Help me be strong, help me be, help me."_

As MARY moves to sing the song's chorus for the last time, the CHORUS, her shadows acting out her thoughts and memories, breaks free and join her. Together, they lift their candles in praise and lower them in prayer until the song ends, until the CHORUS finally blows out the candles.

 _"_ _Breath of Heaven."_

 _(END OF SCENE)_

* * *

 **\- Calla**


	3. Scene 3

**FOR A CROSS**

 **A Narrative in One Act**

 **ACT I**

 **Scene 3**

* * *

ALL the characters go back to their positions before SONG THREE. The CHORUS is once more scattered amongst the church. MARY is with JOHN and the ROMAN SOLDIER is conversing with them.

MARY continues the conversation. "The road was difficult from the very beginning. Even before He was born, there were trials. That time was chaotic and unbearable, uncertain. An angel had visited me and told me that through the Holy Spirit I would bare a son, that He would be the Messiah our people have been waiting centuries for. He would be our king and would save the world from their sins. I didn't know what the angel meant. I still don't.

"His news was overwhelming, joyous but alarming. You see, at that time, I was pledged to be married and I knew no man. Agreeing meant shame and certain death. Yet, I agreed. I wanted to be faithful. I felt honored to be the person who would bare and raise the savior of the world. That desire helped me to overcome my fear of the future. I prayed almost every day that the LORD would help me stay true to my vow. He did and I was.

"But I had no premonition as to what would happen after he had grown. I knew he would be a king one day and I knew by the angel's words that a great sorrow would accompany that occurrence. I did not imagine this. I couldn't. And if I knew then what I know now, I don't know what my answer would have been."

Here JOHN turns to MARY. "Mary, how can you doubt Him, you who have known Him the longest? Have you forgotten everything that has happened up to this point? The healings. His teachings. His provision.

"God performed a miracle when He gave you His son to bare. He fulfilled His promise to our people through you and he didn't abandon you for it. He saved your marriage and stayed the hands of those who might have killed you due to what happened. Good came out of your situation and though it may look bleak now, I know that something good has to come from what has happened here today. Think about it."

Here JOHN starts to sing SONG FOUR, "Mary Did You Know?" The song is sung straight with the rest of the cast listening in, the ROMAN SOLDIER, MARY, the ANGEL, SOLDIER TWO and the CHORUS. Only when the bridge breaks out does the CHORUS join in.

 _The blind would see,  
The deaf would hear,  
The dead would live again._

 _The lame would leap,_  
 _The dumb would speak,_  
 _The praises of the lamb._

Then they fall silent as JOHN finishes the song. The audience listens intently as JOHN, through the song, hints at what could come after her son's death, at who the man was she had raised those many years ago.

 _Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?  
Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations?  
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?  
The sleeping child you were holding is the Great I am._

 _(END OF SCENE)_

* * *

 **\- Calla**


End file.
